Ram Puniyani

Ram Puniyani

Ram Puniyani
Born (1945-08-25) 25 August 1945
Nationality Indian
Occupation writer, communal harmony volunteer, public speaker, doctor, teacher, medical researcher

Ram Puniyani (born 25 August 1945) is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. He began his medical career in 1973 and served IIT in various capacities for 27 years, beginning 1977. In December 2004, he took voluntary retirement to work full-time for communal harmony in India.[1][2] He is involved with human rights activities, communal harmony and initiatives to oppose the rising tide of fundamentalism in India.[3][4] He is associated with the organisations All-India Secular Forum, Center for Study of Society and Secularism and ANHAD. In 2006, he was awarded the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

Biography

Puniyani was born in British-occupied India in 1945 and raised in a refugee Punjabi-speaking business family in the central Indian town of Nagpur. He completed a Visharad (Masters Degree) in Hindi literature alongside matriculation and would then earn both an MBBS as well as an MD at Nagpur Medical College. Upon graduation, he moved to Mumbai where he found a job as a senior medical officer at the Indian Institute of Technology campus in Powai, Mumbai. After about ten years of service as a physician, he diverted into the then fledgling Blood Rheology Laboratoy set up in collaboration with the faculty of mechanical engineering at IIT. After obtaining tenure, and having successfully mentored doctoral and masters degree students, Puniyani decided to dedicate himself to the cause of "restoring" secular principles to post-Babri demolition, post-Mumbai rioting India. He resides in Powai with his wife, a practising physician whom he met as a professor of medicine at Nagpur Medical College. He has two sons who are settled as professionals in various companies.

Activism

Puniyani has been spreading the message of peace and amity through lectures, publications, workshops and meetings and by travelling extensively to different parts of the country disseminating messages of secularism, pluralism and communal harmony. His lectures focus on the need for national integration and communal harmony. He is also the Course Director of 'Peace and Conflict Resolution' Workshop, being conducted by Center for Study of Society and Secularism. Is associated with various secular initiatives and has been part of various investigation reports on violation of human rights of minorities.[5] Has been part of an Indian People's Tribunal that investigated the violation of rights of minorities in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh,[6] His approach and views have also been criticised as anti Hindu. He is known for his articles and essays which regularly appears in Indian magazines and newspapers.[7][8] He also runs a fortnightly e-bulletin 'Issues in secular politics'.[9]

He regularly conducts seminars and workshops on themes like, threat of communal politics to democratic society, human rights, values of freedom movement and values of Secularism, conversions, uniform civil code debate, partition tragedy, Kashmir Imbroglio, tasks for secular movement. Have been addressing College students and teachers on these themes regularly. He regularly publishes articles and essays in magazines and newspapers. Running a fortnightly e bulletin ‘Issues in secular politics’. His articles being translated in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati languages.

Awards

Works

Audio & Video Productions

Audio productions

Video productions

Part of Investigations: Citizen’s Inquiry Committees

References

  1. ↑ Book listing "Communalism: India's Nemesis", IdeaIndia.com
  2. ↑ Abu Saleh, Communalism and Terrorism, UoH Herald, University of Hyderabad, 18 September 2013
  3. ↑ National Seminar on Socio-Economic and Educational Status of Muslims in Maharashtra, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 2009 Archived 6 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Ram Puniyani at World People's Blog
  5. ↑ People's tribunal on victimisation of minorities, OneWorld South Asia
  6. ↑ Indian People's Tribulal Report 40 Archived 20 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Ram Puniyani's articles at South Asia Citizens Web
  8. ↑ Ram Puniyani's articles at CounterCurrents.org
  9. ↑ Plural India
  10. ↑ Trade unionists and activists win awards, Times of India, 3 Jan 2003
  11. ↑ ACHA Awards
  12. ↑ flipkart.com book listing
  13. ↑ "PM's Address at the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration". PIB, Prime Minister's Office. 31 October 2007.
  14. ↑ National Communal Harmony Awards for 2007 announced...Dr. Ram Puniyani and Setu Charitable Trust have been selected for the National Communal Harmony Award for the year 2007.
  15. ↑ "NCHRO's Mukundan C.Menon award 2015 * Honored by Sadbhawna Award by Jamat E Islami Hind on August 20, 2016 given to Ram Puniyani". flickr.com. line feed character in |title= at position 37 (help)
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